musing on friendship...

So I just got back from eating lunch with one of my dearest friends, Lindsay. Lindsay and I met the second day I experienced life at Liberty. Her home happened to be located just on the other side of a concrete wall in our ghetto dorm our first semester. (Dorm 28…I can’t believe I lived there for 3 months…)
I knew I liked her when I first met her. I was mildly intimidated by her because she seemed so poised and well-adjusted to this whole college thing…but I also knew she was one of the few people on that weirdo hall that I actually saw that I might have something in common with.

And did I.

Lindsay has been one of those rare finds of a friend that I can talk to about anything. She’s transparent, vulnerable, and real with me, no matter what’s going on. We’ve made some stupid decisions together, cried together, had a million analytical conversations, and laughed together more times than I could count.
These days our daily routines don’t really include one another. She lives in a house with 3 other girls, is a family and consumer science major, and works all the time waitressing. And me, well I live with a girl that she doesn’t even really know, I’m a communications major, and I’m involved in things like music and theater at Liberty. It’s sort of weird, because we used to have allll the same friends, hang out 24/7, and be ridiculously socially involved with one another.
But today it was really cool. We verbally acknowledged the fact that our lives have changed. We have different friends, are headed in different directions…But, our friendship, our appreciation for one another, our understanding…hasn’t changed one bit.
She even took a moment and thanked me for being a “constant” in her life. A friendship that never changes as far as depth and appreciation…even though time together has become more scarce.
The older I get, and the more life I experience, I’m starting to recognize and embrace the fact that situations and relationships are ever changing and evolving. And rather than hang on to the past, or be depressed about life changing…it’s better to simply smile on that time of life, and be thankful for it. Recognize the fact that someone has walked through your life, and changed you for the better…or contributed to memories that you’ll treasure for life. Life changes. I’m thankful for the blessings of memories and real moments. I’ll not soon forget even one of them.